Diamondback Terrapin #821 and Her 19 Eggs
Michele Zollo discovered the first nesting terrapin at her Broad Marsh (Wareham) turtle garden on Wednesday morning, June 5th. Terrapin #821 is an overachiever and it’s hard to imagine how she can find room for all those eggs.
First Broad Marsh Terrapin Nester of 2013
We first saw this young lady in June of last year when she was only nine years old. Even then she already exceeded expectations with a 17-egg nest.
Nineteen Terrapin Eggs Weighing 127 Grams
Today’s 19 eggs hit the scales at 127 grams. They are a bit on the small size with an average weight of only 6.7 grams per egg.Â
Nineteen Terrapin Eggs in Protected Turtle Garden
Terrapin #821’s ninteen eggs were relocated into a protected turtle garden, where Don Lewis sculpted the sand into a perfect simulated turtle nest. Michele and Louis Zollo created this turtle garden to serve as protected nesting habitat for diamondback terrapins in the Broad Marsh area of Wareham. They placed a predator excluder cage above the nest and encircled it with an additional chicken wire barrier to protect it from voracious predators.